Two-time MasterChef Live winner Gareth Kyle is popping up all over, as Jane Halldiscovers
As a teenager, Gareth Kyle had an unusual method of impressing the girls; he’d invite them round to his house for a home-cooked meal.
And while other boys were trying to impress the opposite sex with their sporting or musical prowess, Gareth was tackling tricky labour-intensive dishes like lobster thermidor.
In fact, one of his earliest culinary memories is sitting cross-legged on the floor of his bedroom with a girl he had a fancy for, sharing a chicken dinner he had created. He was 14.
“The other boys thought cooking was a bit naff, but I quickly realised it was a good way to make a positive impression on the girls, and the added bonus was that I was actually quite good at it,” he says.
So good, that Gareth, 30 now and with some notable MasterChef Live wins under his belt, is making quite a name for himself in the world of pop-ups.
Tickets for his three-night Geordie Garden Supperclub at the Hermitage Community Garden near his home in Gateshead sold out within days, and there are further pop-up dates this autumn at the restored Victorian garden off Whickham Front Street.
Gareth is a natural in the kitchen, working by instinct. In 2010 he was a regional contender on ITV’s Britain’s Best Dish, serving a trio of desserts of poached pears, peanut brittle and raspberries, rose-scented chocolate and Italian meringue and raspberry macaroon served as a cocktail.
Two years ago he won MasterChef Live at the BBC Good Food Show at the NEC in Birmingham and was then invited to appear in a MasterChef Live cook-off in London under the watchful eyes of chef John Torode and restaurateur Gregg Wallace, walking off with the title again.
“When Gregg came over and asked what I was making and I said a custard tart, he gave me a hug,” says Gareth. “It seems he likes his desserts!”
The next Geordie Garden Supperclub will feature his unique take on the Gateshead bacon floddie and seasonal game, and it will be followed by another pop-up with a North West theme in honour of wife Rachel, who is from Wigan.
Tickets for the Geordie Garden Supperclub, Sept 19-21, from www.facebook.com/gareth.kyle or www.garethkyle.co.uk
Geordie Scotch eggs
Serves four
Ingredients
4 boiled eggs
200g white pudding
200g black pudding
1 spoonful Dijon mustard
a little water
1 egg, beaten
100g white breadcrumbs
100g plain flour
500ml sunflower oil
Method
Hard boil the eggs for four minutes and allow to cool. Divide the black and white pudding into four equal portions. Using cling film, place black pudding on one half and white pudding on the other and flatten out to a thickness of about 1cm. Place one of the hard boiled eggs in the centre and carefully wrap the pudding mixture around it being careful to ensure the two colours don’t mix. Seal inside the clingfilm and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Take off the clingfilm and roll each egg in the flour, dip in the beaten egg and then cover in the breadcrumbs. Using a deep fat fryer or a large heavy bottomed pan, bring the sunflower oil up to a temperature of 180C/Gas4. Carefully fry each egg one at a time for 8-10 mins until golden and the pudding is completely cooked. Carefully remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Upside Down Frozen Lemon and Ginger Cheesecakes
Makes four
Gareth serves these in plant pots with an edible flower garnish, but ramekins will serve just as well.
Ingredients
100g cream cheese
50g mascarpone cheese
25g icing sugar
1 lemon, juice and rind
lemon sorbet (if you have an ice cream maker, make your own; if not, buy some that has lemon pieces in)
75g ginger nut biscuits
Method
Blend together the cream cheese, mascarpone, lemon juice, rind and icing sugar, beating plenty of air into the mix as you stir. Wrap your biscuits in a sandwich bag and then a tea towel and bash them with a rolling pin Take a scoop of the cheese mixture and fill the pot or ramekin to about half. Using a melon baller or a spoon, scoop the lemon sorbet and layer it on to the cheese base, leaving about 0.5cm gap at the top. Top with the crushed biscuits and put the cheesecakes in the freezer for 45-60 mins.
Then,15 mins before serving, move them to the fridge so that the sorbet and cheese are just beginning to soften when you serve, and enjoy!
